Judicial inquiry into slippery Red Hill Valley Parkway could cost taxpayers more than $7 million

A judicial inquiry into the slippery Red Hill Valley Parkway will likely cost more than the $7 million budgeted by the city, say Hamilton's lawyers.

City council voted in March 2019 to ask a Superior Court judge to probe the circumstances behind the discovery of a troubling safety report on the collision-prone parkway that had somehow been hidden for five years. A prior Spectator investigation showed twice as many crashes on the Red Hill compared to the Linc over five years.

The city originally set aside $7 million from its tax stabilization reserve for the judicial investigation, which is supposed to include public hearings next spring.

An updated report going to councillors next week from city solicitor Nicole Auty, however, shows the pandemic-slowed, document-heavy investigation has already cost the city about $4.8 million.

It is unlikely," she warned, that final inquiry costs will come in under the original $7-million budget.

That means council will have to dip further into city reserves or find another source of funding. An outside lawyer hired by the city originally warned council the inquiry could cost anywhere between $2 million and $10 million.

There is still no set date for public hearings headed by Superior Court Justice Herman Wilton-Siegel, with later in the spring" the best city estimate available.

The Spectator was unable to immediately reach inquiry staff for an update Wednesday.

But the inquiry has been delayed by slow production of documents by the city, province and various contractors involved in the original construction of the eight-kilometre parkway. Wilton-Siegel said he was disappointed" by the slow pace as far back as July, but participants pointed to pandemic challenges.

The city originally handed over close to 56,000 documents to the inquiry, but has recently been asked for more, Auty's update report said. Inquiry lawyers have also asked to interview 36 current or former City of Hamilton employees.

Separate from the judicial inquiry, some Red Hill crash victims are also pursuing a $250-million class-action lawsuit over the parkway. But a court hearing on whether to certify that legal action is still likely months away.

Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com